Auto-lock



R. F. INGERSOLL, DECD.

J. B. INGERSOLL. ADMINISTRATRIX.

AUTO LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED MAR\22, I920. 1,380,478. Patented June 7, 1921.

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R. F. INGERSOLL, DECD. J. B. INGERSOLL, ADMINISTRA T RIX.

AUTO. LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED MAR\22, 1920.

Patented June 7, 1921.

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A TTORNEYS.

UNITED. STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT F. INGERSOLL, DEGEASED,.IBY JESSIE B. INGERSOLL, SPECIAL ADMINISTRA- TRIX, 0F KELLOGG, IDAHO, ASSIGNOR '10 T. S. IN'GERSOLL,-OF SAN FRANCISCO,

CALIFORNIA.

no'ro nocx.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 7, 1921.

Application filed March 22, 1920. Serial No. 367,798.

To all whom, it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, Jnssin B. INGERSGIL, a citizen of the United States, residin at Kellogg, in the county of Shoshone and S tate of Idaho, and who is administratrix offthe deceased ROBERT F. IN'oERspLL, whodid invent new and useful Improvements in Auto- Locks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in auto locks of that character in which the automobile is locked against operation under its own power but is free'to be shifted or moved about in case of fire or other accidents. The invention also relates to ,improvements in that class of auto locks wherein reliance is placed upon rendering the spark circuit inoperative in order to lock the machine.

It is one of the objects of this invention to so correlate the auto lock with a combination lock mechanism that one will coact with the other in circuit closing and circuit positions with a view of rendering mutual locking cooperation.

It is a further object of this invention to dispose circuit closing means and also a portion of the combination lock mechanism in a closedcasing, preferabl located on the hood side of the dash, all 0 themechanism in saidcasing or housing being not only inaccessible when'the hood is closed, but also inaccessible when the hood is opened. In this connection, a further feature of novelty consists in providing combination lock mechanism wherein the combination may be altered at Wlll, there being a novel pick-up means disposed in said housing to pick-up any new combination.

It is a feature of novelty of this invention to dispose the dial of the combination lock mechanism on the seat side of the dash and in connection with the accompanying drawings and which will be more part cularly pointed out in and by the appended claims.

In the drawings .F gure 1 is a front elevation of the dash looking from the seat side and showing the d1al of the combination lock mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a View in elevation looking from the hood side and showing the circuit closlng means in a circuit closing position.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the circuit closing means in a circuit opening position. I

Fig 4c is a horizontal sectional view on 11116 4-4 of Fig. 2' with the circuit closing means in a circuit closing position.

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 4 with the circuit closing means in a circuit openingl position.

' ig.*6 is a vertical sectional view on line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view on line 77 of Fig. 2.

' Fig. 8 is a sectional view on line v8-8' of Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view on line 99 of Fig. 6.

Like characters of reference designate similar parts throughout the difierent figures of the drawings.

As illustrated, 1 designates the dash of an automoblle, the seat side being indicated at 2, and the hood side at 3., The engine is diagrammatically shown at 4 and a source'of current is designated at 5. I A spark circuit comprises conductors 6, 7 and 8, conductors 6 and 8 being electrically connected to terminals 9 and 10 which will be hereinafter specifically described.

On the seat side of the dash issuitably secured. a mounting 11 for a combination lock dial 12, the latter being rotatable by meansof a knurled finger grip 13. The dial 12 is suitably graduated, as clearly shown in Fi 1, and the mounting. 11 is provided with an Index 14 with 'which the graduations will be brought into registry in the usual manner of operating a combination lock. Secured to the dial 12 and extending through and being journaled in the mounting 11,- is a. sleeve 15- which extends through the dash as shown particularly in Fig. 6. On the sleeve 15 are loosely mounted tumblers, preferably in the formof disks 16 and 17 having notches 18 and19." A tumbler disk 20 is fixed on sleeve 15 and is provided with a notch 21.

Tumbler disk 20 is provided with teeth 22 adapted to mesh with teeth 23, formed on sleeve 15, whereby disk 20 maybechanged in its position with respect to sleeve 15 when it is desired to change the combination. A spring slip device 24 serves to hold the disk 20 in position, as willgbeseen more particularly by reference to Fig. 6. -The disks 16,

construction. A housing 29, having an open end 30, is suitably fastened upon the,

hood side 3 of the dash 1, for the purpose of inclosing the mechanism of my invention. Tubular projections 31 and 32 are suitably secured at diametrically opposite points on periphery of said housing and projecting laterally therefrom. Internally, said tubulai' projections are uitably insulated for projection therethrough of conductors 6 and 8 for the purpose of connecting said conductors 6 and 8 with the terminals 9 and 10, respectively. Terminal contacts 9 and 10 are suitably insulated by insulating material 33 and 34, from the housing 29. Contact terminal 9 comprises a base portion 35 which is secured to the housing 29, and'which is provided with an angularly disposed portion 36 having a contact face 37. A lookingportion or groove '38 is disposed in said contact face. Said terminal 9 is provided with a ledge stop 39, as will be seen more particularly in Figs. 5 and 7. Terminal 10 is identical with terminal 9 except for the omission of the stop ledge, said terminal having abase portion 40, secured to the housing 29, and an angle portion 41 providing a contact face 42, and in which contact face is formed a locking groove 43.

A reciprocable and rotatable circuit closing means is provided for co-a'ction with said terminals for closing circuit to render said spark circuit operative, or opening circuit to render the spark mechanism inoperative. As illustrated, said circuit closing means includes a bar of electrically. conducting material, as indicated at 44, said bar having contact faces 45 and 46 for' engagement with contact'faces 37 and 42 of terminals 9 and 10. Said bar 44 also has lookng ribs 47 and 48 for co-action withlock- 1ng grooves 38 and 43 so that said bar cannot be jarred or oscillated out of circuit closing position by running vibration of' the automobile, or by other accidental or incidental causes. He preferred to mount said bar 44 upon a strip of insulating material 49,

the latter having secured thereto an operating stem 50, for the circuit closing bar. In practice. He preferred to insert the operating stem 50 through the circuit closer, the

gitudinally actuated. Interposed between the circuit bloser and the inner end of sleeve 15 is a spring 53, the function of which is normally to force thecircuit closer into a circuit opening position, as shown in Fig. 5, and also, to holdthe ribs and grooves in looking co-action when the closer is in the position shown in Fig. 4, the spring also functioning to effect eflicient electrical en-' gagement.

The circuit closer is interdependently correlated with the combination lock mechanism in such a manner that one acts to lock the other when in certain relation.

The circuit closer is provided with a finger 54 projecting rearwardly therefrom; This finger not only functions as a tumbler co-acting and locking member but also as a stop, and I will first describe its action as a stop. In this construction, the circuit closer only oscillates through a length of travel of 90 degrees, and it is the object of the stop mechanism to limit oscillation to this extent in order that the circuit closer may be held inproper position for linear movement. A lug 55, mounted as will hereinafter be described, projects into the path during linear movement of the circuit closer, aid angle stop having a transversely disposed portion' for restraining linear movement of said closer While the same is being rotated into a circuit closing position. It will be seen by reference to. Fig. 7 that the closer contacting face,58, is somewhat in the rear of the face 37 whereby the closer will be held sufficiently retracted with re 7 spect to 37 to permit the locking rib 47 to ride upon said face and finally descend into groove 38. It will thus be seen that the oppositely acting stops for holding-the circuit closer in the position shown in Fig. 5 both permit of longitudinal movement of said closer while acting to restrain same to a linear path of movement.

I will next refer to the manner in which the finger 54 co-acts with the combination mechanism. 7

When the circuit. closer is being retractedin the vertical positionshown in Fig. 6, to the left thereof, the finger 54 will pass through notches 18, 19 and 21; as shown in Fig. 9, providing the disks are in an unlocked position. After .the finger 54 has entered said notches then the circuit closer will have reached a position with respect to angle stop 57 so that the circuit closer may be rotated into a circuit closing position, as

shown in Fig. 4. The disks will partake-of.

thisrotation throughout 90 degrees and will be held by the finger in an unlocked position. The importance'ofthe feature is that the combinationlock cannot be" jarred out of an unlocking position, as regards the disks,

7 by vibration of the automobile and therefore closer could be shifted into a circuit closing position. .Therefore it 'will be seen'that I am able to lock the clrcuit closer in a circuit opening position, and it will also be seen that the stops co-act with the disks to prevent rotation of the circuitcloser until the latter has been retractedto a predetermined position. j l

A closure 59 is threaded on the end of the housing and I provide a set screw 60 for locking the closure-in a predetermined position. Stops .61 are secured to the closure and are disposed on opposite sides of the closer, as shown in Fig. 5. 'to prevent rotation of the latter.

It is a primary object of thisinvention to provide an auto lock in which no key or other device will be necessary to the user,

- and it is a'feature of this invention to pro vide combination pick-up means, in the housing, for the purpose of picking up a new combination when the user desires to change the combination of a lock.

I have hereinbefore described .how disk 20 may be rotatively shifted on sleeve 15 to change the combination. Now my improved pick-up means includes a guide 62 in which a pick-up key 63 is slidably mounted. Said key has a pick-up terminal 63 which is mov- 'able through the notches 18, 19 and21 when the latter are in re istry, a finger grip terminal 64 being provided for manipulating said key. Said key is of sufficient length so that the closure 59 cannot be completely adjusted and locked into a housing closing position until the ick-up key is fully retracted as shown in ig. 6. Therefore, irrespective of any change in the combination, the pick-up means.acts as an indicator when the device is assembled or when the closure 59 is being set in place, "to indicate the position of the combination disks. Furthermore, when theto sto cuit c osing position. Thus the car w1l1 .be

closure 59 isin position, it'serves to hold the pick-up key from interfering with the disks because it is impossible for the pickup to move with' the parts in the position shown in Fig. 6. I prefer to form the stop 55 on the guide 62.

Assuming that the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 4, with the circuit closer in contact with the terminals 9 and 10 and the finger 54 inserted through the notches andholding the disks in an unlocking position whe-rein'it will be impossible to turn the dial 12, the operator in order to render the spark circuit inoperative, will grasp finger grip 52 and pull against spring 53 into. the positlon shown in Fig. 5 thereby withdrawing finger 54 from the combination disks. Now if the operator wishes to lock the closer in the position shown in Fig. 5, he will grasp grip .13 and rotate the same slightly and this will advance at least one disk so that its notch will be out of registry with finger 54. Thereafter, it will be impossible to retract the closer into such relation 58 that it can be rotated into a cirlocked against operation under its own power. It will be understood that the spark circuit may be rendered inoperative .by merely shifting the circuit closer into the position shown in Fig. 5 without adjusting anyofi the disks into a locking position, but in this adjustment, the car will not be locked against operation under its own power but will be merely rendered inoperativef- Assuming that. the circuit closer is locked in the position shown in Fig. 5, then it will be necessary to readjust the combination lock.

mechanism before the circuit closer can be released for retraction intoa circuit closing position. After the combination has been released'or unlocked, then the circuit closer may be reciprocated and then rotated back ing means locks the combination mechanism in a.releasing position by means of finger 54.

and thereby prevents .the combination mechanism or its disks from being jarred out of a'releasing position. This function is performed notwithstanding the rotative movement necessary to release the circuit closer. In this relation, the combination lock mechanism is passive and the circuit closing means is active. With the parts in the position shown in '5, the circuit closing means is in circuit opening position, saidmeans being passive.

It is'believed that the utility and advan tagesof the invention will be clearly understood from the foregoing description, and

while I have herein shown and described one specific form of the invention, I do not wish to be limited thereto except for such limitations as the claims may import.

I claim:

1. A lock switch comprising a casing, permutation disks in said casing, each disk being provided with a recess, means for operating said disks to aline said recesses, diametricallyopposed contacts in said casing,

a reciprocab'le and rotatable shaft concentric with said disks and operating means there-,

for, a crosshead carried by said shaft comprising a conducting portion insulated from the shaft, lugs on the bottom. of said casing,

a. spring normally holding said crosshead between said lugs to prevent rotation there of and of the shaft, a lug carried by said crosshead and normally engaging said disks to prevent reciprocation of said shaft but positioned. to enter said recesses when said recesses are properly alined,'whereupon said shaft and crosshead may be reciprocated to tion, said member and one of said terminals having co-acting portions, and a spring for holding said member in co-action with said terminal to lock said member in one position thereby locking said tumblers against movement, substantially as described.

3. In an auto lock, contact terminals in diametrically opposed relation, a reciprocable and rotatable bar for engagement with said terminals, and an angle guide having a longitudinal portion for guiding said bar during linear movement of the latter and a transversely disposed portion for guiding saidbar during rotative movement of the latter, substantially as described.

In testimonyv that I claim the foregoing in behalf ofthe deceased, I hereby affix my signature.

JESSIE B. INGERSOLL, Administratriw of Robert F. I'ngersoll, de-

ceased. 

